New Delhi: Manohar Lal Khattar, who is all set to become the Chief Minister of Haryana for a second straight term, will meet the Governor on Saturday to stake claim to form the government.
Khattar, who was in Delhi where the alliance with Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party was sealed, reached Chandigarh in the morning to attend the BJP legislative party meeting during which he will be elected as the legislature party leader. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Arun Singh also reached the UT guesthouse in Chandigarh to attend the meeting as central observers.
After being elected as the legislative party leader, Khattar will go to meet Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya and stake claim to form the government.
The move comes a day after the BJP sealed a deal with Dushyant Chautala’s party by giving it the post of deputy chief minister.
“Keeping in mind the mandate of the people, leaders of BJP and JJP have decided that the two parties will form a government in Haryana together. The Chief Minister will be from the BJP and the deputy chief minister will be from JJP,” BJP President Amit Shah announced at a news briefing, flanked by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Kahttar and Dushyant Chautala.
As per the current strength, the coalition government will have 57 seats in the 90-member assembly – apart from JJP which has 10 seats, seven Independents have also lent support to the BJP, which ended up with 40 seats this time.
“In order to provide a stable government, we have decided that BJP and JJP will ally in Haryana. Haryana has seen coalitions earlier too. The work on this coalition government will begin on Saturday,” ML Khattar said.
Chautala said his party believed the alliance was necessary for stability in Haryana.
“Haryana needs transformation. BJP and JJP will have to work together to ensure that Haryana moves ahead in a ‘progressive’ manner. Further decisions would be taken after meeting the Governor. Progress and development of state the objective,” said Chautala, who is likely to be deputy chief minister in the new government.
According to reports, the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet is expected after Diwali.
